3000 ft rule on sub-14k peaks?

[JChitwood]

I climb everything from a standard trailhead. Buckskin is only 1,850 from Kite Lake and you would have to start miles down the road to get 3,000. Adams from Willow Creek is over 5,000. Only guessing but if you did the 100 highest from established trailheads the average would be well above 3,000, maybe even 4,000.

[peter303]

Normal hikers dont worry about this.
It is used for speed attempts to semi-stndardardize routes.

[rob runkle]

Don't listen to all these schmucks, Rob. You know you can't trust what people say on the internet.

The truth is that for centennials and sub-14er peaks we actually have a "mile" rule... doesn't count if you don't start from at least 5,280 feet below the summit.

This sounds the most legit to me...

[rob runkle]

I think I'll stick with something like 2800-3000 min, for as many as I can. Not going to stress over it though. I've done decalibro twice via kite lake, and not lost any sleep. Having said that, getting all four of those in one shot is a bit cheap, and that is well accepted.

[bdloftin77]

... doesn't count if you don't start from at least 5,280 feet below the summit.

My legs are cowering in fear of what sort of approach hikes that would require

Some of them are quite interesting indeed. Pawnee Buttes becomes an interesting challenge at 5230'.

The list is still awaiting its first finisher!

I'm often surprised at the people who claim to have joined this "Mile High club" because they don't always look like they're capable of something like this. I have to admit that sometimes I even wonder if we're talking about the same thing...

Yup. For Pawnee Buttes, the standard approach is scuba diving to 50 feet below the ocean surface in San Francisco Bay, then trekking 1000 miles across the California Valley, the Sierra Nevadas, Nevada, Utah, and the Park Range in northern Colorado.

[Two Headed Boy]

One day, when I am on my death bed, I will have to face my demise with the knowledge that I didn't gain 3,000ft on Oxford. I just linked the damn thing together with Belford. Then, after I'm dead, I have to face God. I hope he doesn't think I'm a p**sy Seriously though I think you would just subtract 1000ft for every 1000ft you go down. 13ers - 2000ft, 12ers - 1000ft, 11ers - 0ft, 10ers - minus 1000ft, and so on and so forth. It is mathematically sound.

[bdloftin77]

^ Parachuting onto sub 11k peaks.. Sounds exciting.

[Brian C]

Ah crap. Does this mean I have to do the Buttes again?

[Two Headed Boy]

Ah crap. Does this mean I have to do the Buttes again?

Math doesn't lie so unfortunately I would say yes. Camping in the grasslands is a fond memory of mine, maybe I could tag along.

[drewski]

Just start them all from Death Valley and you'll be fine.